Stop Using Excuses And Do Something

Stop Using Excuses And Do Something
or Please Don't End Up Like Dave.
If you ever have the misfortune to meet my neighbour Dave, then try not to engage in conversation about pretty much anything regarding work.

Dave is a British male, 50 years of age and has a trade as painter & decorator.
He has been out of work for around 6 months now and has recently had to sign on the dole.
I bumped into him the other day and wished I hadn't.

I enquired if he had got any work lately. "No..what's the point?. It's all seasonal round here. There is nothing for me. no painting work. Nothing"

I continued "Have you thought about doing something else? You never know, that may well lead to a painting job" "Nope, i made a mistake moving here. There is nothing" I was starting to get irritated.

I trained as telecoms engineer and did that for around 20 years, 6 years for BT and then 14 as a self employed tech. The market started to change in the late 2000s and i realised I needed to do something else. Plus the fact I had got a bit fed up with the work as the technology with broadband and customers demands had become more needy, I wanted something else.

I became a cleaner for a couple of years, did some retail work and then found that I enjoyed working as a support worker for people with special needs. A job I still do and enjoy part time now and have been doing for the last 4 years.

I continued with Dave. "What about working in care? There are loads of positions around here for support workers and it's great fun too helping other folk" Before I could actually finish thats sentence he interrupted "I ain't doing that...no way..money is rubbish" "I tried to get a job at the supermarket and Argos...but they never got back to me....so that is that"

"What about doing gardening for people?"   "Nope, not doing that"  "You like walking your dog....why not walk other peoples dogs?"  "Nope, not doing that..too much responsibility"  "What about retraining? The Job Centre can help with courses"  "Nope..no point..I am 50!"

I could not believe what I was hearing. Here was a bloke who had clearly decided that his working life was over.
"Problem with here is, way too many foreigners taking all the jobs. And the wealthy, they look after their own..they give nothing back to people like me. That's why there is no work around!"

I just stood looking at this idiot. Trying not to rise to an argument.
The world owes Dave a living...and the only place where that statement lives and flourishes...is in Dave's head.

He is certainly right when he says that he is on the scrapheap. He is. He owns that scrapheap. He has a huge house that he has built on it.
It's built with all of the negative tools and thoughts that he has decided are fact and he has built a deep and miserable foundation that the house sits on.

Unfortunately for Dave though he is 100% wrong.

He is his own problem. He has decided he can't or won't do anything else. However it is not his call. He wants benefits. But guess what? He won't get them. He hasn't reckoned on the fact that the whole benefit system has changed.
He will have to attend meetings, interviews with the benefit office, attend courses, go to organised interviews and essentially toe the line if he is to get anything at all.

He is an angry and miserable SOB. Blaming everyone and everything for his own failings and refusing to see that he is surrounded, like we all are, by opportunity.  

You need to take opportunities and see what else you can do in your current job or indeed if you have an idea or want to change direction.
There is a huge range of things you can do, you just need to look and get active in finding new things.

And if you are out for a walk and meet Dave....just keep on walking.

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